


Interview with the First Daughter

by Hackney123



Series: The Moss Lyman Presidency [4]
Category: The West Wing
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-24
Updated: 2020-12-31
Packaged: 2021-03-11 04:34:04
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 1,926
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28289259
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Hackney123/pseuds/Hackney123
Summary: After months of speculation Josephine Hayes, the MBC anchor is granted a rare chance to interview the normally reclusive FirstDaughter of President Moss Lyman.  Well granted is perhaps not the right word as she did not ask to do the interview, she waschosen using a process that was more opaque than transparent.   Enjoy.
Series: The Moss Lyman Presidency [4]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2015887
Kudos: 1





	1. Travelling

**Author's Note:**

> A/N This story is being taken out of sequence and is in fact a follow on to the story Rose Garden Press Conference. All the
> 
> characters in this story other than the West Wing Characters are figments of my wine induced imagination any resemblance 
> 
> to any living person is pure coincidence. I am not sure that there is a news corporation called MBC but any resemblance 
> 
> between the two is accidental.

Josephine Hayes was summoned to see White House Director of Communications Annabeth Schott. While her cousin Ainsley might like working with Democrats she did not. In fact, Josephine was barely cordial to her cousin’s husband. If he were not the Secretary of State, she would not speak to him at all. In the first five years of their marriage, she said five words in total to Sam. So, getting an abrupt summons did not put her in a good mood. However, as she was the main anchor for MBC and in her mind a first-rate investigative journalist, she went to see what the pixie she devil as she thought of the Director of Communication wanted. On arriving at the West Executive Drive entrance and giving her name, as she was not part of the White House Press Pool, she did not have a pass so had to be escorted. After a five minute wait a tall redhaired lady came up to her.

‘Ms Hayes I am Chelsea Ms Schott’s assistant do you want to follow me?’

Josephine followed the young lady down several corridors until they got to a door which had WW143 on it. Chelsea knocked on the door and showed Josephine in.

‘Welcome you have been chosen to do an in-depth interview with the First Daughter before we go to meet her, I will need all electrical devices and your bag. I will provide you 

with the equipment you need to record the interview. I have spoken to your employers and they are aware that you will be away for three days getting an exclusive interview and are happy.’

‘Why will it take three days?’

‘One day travelling there one day for the interview and then the return journey.’

‘Where are we going?’

‘To see the White House Counsel to do the paperwork then to see the First Daughter.’

Despite her misgivings the chance of an interview with the First Daughter who has never given an interview before and is never seen at any public events won over. Handing all electrical equipment, she had to Annabeth who locked them away. The two women then went down to see the White House Counsel. On arrival at the White House Counsel’s office Ainsley was waiting for them.

‘Hello traitor.’ Josephine said in greeting

‘Hello Josephine, how is sorry I have lost track what is your husband’s name again?’

‘He is fine at least I married a republican.’

‘But I am still on my first marriage after 10 years while you are on what is it your fifth or sixth’

Before Josephine could respond and before matters became more heated Annabeth suggested they went inside and talked in private. They went into Ainsley’s office where they all sat down around the desk as opposed to the comfortable seating area. Ainsley started.

‘As no doubt Annabeth has told you it has been decided that you will be given an exclusive interview with the First Daughter. You will be taken from here to a location where the interview will be conducted. I do not know where this location is. Before you go, I need you to sign these documents. Included in the documents is a Temporary TS security clearance. I am not quite sure why that is needed. Also included is a waiver in case of injury so that you cannot sue the government if you are injured.’

‘So, Traitor why is this necessary?’

‘My name is Ainsley not traitor. I would remind you that I am still a member of the Republican Party. As to why these documents are needed the First daughter only agreed to this on the understanding that the location where she is staying is kept secret. This has meant making certain arrangements.’

Josephine signed the documents and left accompanied by Annabeth as they left the White House through the East Executive Drive. As they went through the door, they entered a waiting Lincoln Sedan Town Car with a Secret Service lead vehicle and chase car. The three-car convoy turned left into Pennsylvania Avenue and travelled for about half an hour before arriving at a private airfield. At the airfield waiting for them was a twin engine Cessna airplane Annabeth, Josephine and two Secret Service Agents board and the plane took off in a South Easterly direction for two hours before landing in another private airfield. The party of four boarded another Town Car and travelled for four hours before stopping for something to eat. After eating they travelled for another two hours before arriving at another airfield where they took a micro jet and flew for another two and half hours before landing at a small regional airport and taxiing into a hangar. Josephine was now confused and disorientated. The group of four entered a panel van with seats in the back and no windows so Josephine could not see where she was or was going. About half an hour later they arrived at a small hotel and were booked in for the night.

The following morning Annabeth and Josephine had breakfast in a small breakfast alcove in the hotel’s dining area. Josephine was not happy.

‘Why could we not have stayed at a more upmarket hotel?’

‘As it is I will have to explain the costs to the White House Comptroller and the White House Office of Ethics will want to know why I was paying the bill of a journalist so be 

thankful you are not staying at a motel on a main road. Hurry up we have a two hour ride to the meeting venue for your interview with the First Daughter.


	2. The Interview

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Josephine and Annabeth travel from their hotel to the meeting with the First Daughter so that Josephine can interview the First 
> 
> Daughter.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N This chapter has a nod to a late 1970s early 1980s show. The original characters in this show are all figments of my 
> 
> wine induced imagination as is the MBC channel. All the original West Wing characters do not belong to me.

After a two-hour journey in a two-car convoy during which Josephine noted the windows were blacked out so she could not see where they were going, they arrived in an underground car park. Once they had alighted from the car and entered the lift Josephine gave vent to her anger.

  
‘What is with the cloak and dagger I did not have all this secrecy when I met with the leader of the Majine Drug Cartel.’

  
‘Yes, I know how did you enjoy that three-day FBI interview?’ Annabeth responded before continuing. ‘The arrangements have been made at the request of the First Daughter who does not want anyone knowing where she is living.’

  
Josephine would have been furious to find out that the house they were in was in Baltimore and she had spent twenty-four hours to travel two hours away from the White House. They went up in the lift to the fifth floor on departing from the lift both Josephine and Annabeth were given a thorough pat down search and their coats and handbags were taking off them. They were shown into a large living room where a young lady was waiting for them thankfully, she looked sufficiently like her mother for Josephine to recognise her as there are no known photos of the First Daughter.

  
‘Annabeth, how are you? I hope that Jonathan and Jennifer are alright.’

  
‘I am fine Jennifer has taken to sleeping between my legs which is fine until I get up during the night and have to disturb her. This is Josephine Hayes from MBC to do the interview.’

  
‘Glad to meet you I hope you had a pleasant journey. Come let us sit down.’ Joanie said directing them to a couple of settees surrounding a table on which coffee and cakes had been laid out.

  
Josephine was appraising the elusive First Daughter. She was tall about 176 cm with her mother’s blonde hair and slim figure. The First Daughter appeared to be graceful and at ease. Which was surprising as she was not known to have been interviewed before yet seemed calm and not in anyway anxious. Clearly, she knew and was on good terms with Annabeth the reference to Jonathan and Jennifer indicated that she was one of the few people who knew anything about that pixie’s private life. It slightly troubled Josephine that the First Daughter did not seem to be concerned about mentioning them.

  
‘Ma’am can I ask about your first name where does it come from?’ Josephine started as an opener.

  
‘Please call me Joanie. I am named after my Paternal Aunt who died when my Father was young, so I have never met her.’

  
‘At the Press Conference that your mother had in the Rose Garden there was a lot of speculation about your job due to your absence from the campaign. What do you do?’

  
‘You have mixed two things together there. The reason why I did not take part in my mother’s campaign had nothing to do with my job. As to what I do the best way to describe it is that I serve my country in the best way I can in a non-political way. I do not want to go into the specifics as it is not important suffice to say that the speculation at the press conference was inaccurate.’

  
‘So why did you not take part in your mother’s campaign if it was not because of your job?’

  
‘While coming from a political family like mine I personally do not like politics. That is not to say that I am not political what I mean is that you will not see me running for political office I am a bit like my father in that respect in that I prefer to be behind the scenes. Also, I am not good with crowds that is why I am doing a one to one and not a big or even a little press conference. I discussed the matter with Annabeth, and this is what we came up with.’

  
‘You obviously like your privacy as it was a long journey out here, but can I ask do you have a boyfriend?’

  
‘You can ask as long as you do not want an answer. When I am ready to tell anyone about my private life, I will let you know.’

  
‘So, will we be seeing you in public during any national events?’

  
‘I cannot say that would depend on work commitments and how public they are as I said I am not keen on crowds.’

  
‘How do you get on with your brother Senator Lyman?’

  
‘We have a cordial relationship.’

  
Josephine waited expecting more but that seemed to be all she was going to say on the matter. So, asked.

  
‘Do you want to elaborate on that?’

  
‘No.’

  
Josephine was flailing as she had not been prepared for the interview normally for an interview like this, she would have had a week to prepare. As a closer she asked.

  
‘What is your view of the current situation?’

  
‘That is an extremely broad question. I am not going to criticise the current administration in public those view will remain private between me and my parents. I would say that so far I have not seen anything that I would find objectional if I did, I will let my mother know.’

  
‘Thank you I have no more questions as I did not have much time to prepare perhaps, we can do another interview with a bit more notice.’

  
‘We will see.’

  
Shaking hands Josephine and Annabeth left and started their circuitous journey back to the White House as Josephine started crafting her story and considered who she could drop the hint about the pixie’s private life to. Annabeth assumed that Josephine would make the most out of the reference to Jonathan and Jennifer that should keep the Press Corps busy trying to find out about those two.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> In a future story I might cover what the press make of the rumour about Annabeth


End file.
